As Dr Maxwell writes in his preface to this book, his aim has been to instruct through entertainment. 'The general theory is that a wrong idea may often be exposed more convincingly by following it to its absurd conclusion than by merely announcing the error and starting again. Thus a number of by-ways appear which, it is hoped, may amuse the professional, and help to tempt back to the subject those who thought they were losing interest.' The standard of knowledge expected is fairly elementary. In most cases a straightforward statement of the fallacious argument is followed by an exposure in which the error is traced to the most elementary source, and this process often leads to an analysis which is often of unexpected depth. Many students will discover just how mathematically minded they are when they read this book; nor is that the only discovery they will make. Teachers of mathematics in schools and technical schools, colleges and universities will also be sure to find something her
Through hard experience mathematicians have learned to subject even the most 'evident' assertions to rigorous scrutiny, as intuition can often be misleading. This book collects and analyses a mass of
What can epistemology tell us about love? Here two philosophers use their training in arguments and reasoning to uncover the role of ungrounded beliefs when we fall in love. This not a self-help book
What can epistemology tell us about love? Here two philosophers use their training in arguments and reasoning to uncover the role of ungrounded beliefs when we fall in love. This not a self-help book
Standardized testing has been respected by academics yet criticized by the public for many years, and this book responds to the controversies surrounding test applications for the diagnosis, measureme
Much of the debate about how to prevent crime feeds off misinformation, moral panics and retributional rage. This lively and thought-provoking book aims to get to the core of the debates surrounding t
This is a systematic and concise introduction to more than forty fallacies, from anthropomorphism and argumentum ad baculum, to reductionism and the slippery slope argument. With helpful definitions,
This is a systematic and concise introduction to more than forty fallacies, from anthropomorphism and argumentum ad baculum, to reductionism and the slippery slope argument. With helpful definitions,
In this slim volume, Zinn lays out a clear and dynamic case for civil disobedience and protest, and challenges the dominant arguments against forms of protest that challenge the status quo. Zinn explo
" In 1938, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain hoped that a policy of appeasement would satisfy Adolf Hitler's territorial appetite and structured British policy accordingly. This plan was a failure, c
Witty, thought-provoking exploration of government newspeak, exaggerated advertising claims, propaganda and other misuses of language ? and how to combat them.
